The West Chester United Eagles 97 girls soccer club capped of their season by earning a rare opportunity; the chance to showcase their skills and compete against the best of the best of their age group in a national tournament in Florida.

The squad faced numerous challenges over the course of their three-month campaign, but ultimately ended the season at its highest point, making a name for themselves in the process.

The team was made up of mostly girls entering their sophomore year of high school, with a few younger players filling out the roster. Although they come from various high schools across Chester County, most of them have been playing travel together since they were young and already formed chemistry amongst the ranks.

“The team this year knew what each other’s strengths and weaknesses were.” said forward Laura Forsyth from West Chester Henderson. “We worked with each other and clicked in a way I’ve never experienced with a team before.”

The journey started in early March as the team participated in a state qualifying tournament in early March. The team posted two wins and a draw, scoring six goals and giving up none. The dominance of the weekend began the Eagles’ stretch, and ultimately served as a starting block for the club’s long run.

“When we won our first tournament, I had a pretty good idea that this team could play. Both my coach (Patrick McKenna) and I felt that there was a lot of talent and we could really take this team far.” said team captain Joanna Skros of Bishop Shanahan. “From the start, I could tell we were going to be a really competitive team. We all just got along well and connected.”

Their next appearance was in April at the Presidents Cup in Allentown to determine the best team in the state. The girls edged Penn Legacy on penalty kicks, in a thrilling back-and-forth affair to earn a spot in the regional final in New Hampshire over Memorial Day weekend.

The regionals were made up of two brackets, with the best clubs of the Northeast meeting in pursuit of a ticket to the national stage. Once in New Hampshire, the club opened up the tournament with a 2-1 win over Severna Park, MD to give them an early advantage, but then lost its next matchup against MC Rush of Virginia.

This set up a semifinal date with the top seed in the tournament, FC United of Massachusetts, who were previously undefeated and had already scored 14 goals in the tournament. Coming in as the underdog did not phase the Eagles, however as they pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind 2-1 victory with Forsyth providing the game-winning goal. They then proceeded to knock off MC Rush for the championship, thus earning their spot in the National Cup.

They were Region One champions, representing the Northeast down in Florida during the weekend tournament, surpassing over 5,000 teams across the country in the process to play on the big stage. The club spent the next five weeks practicing, fundraising, and preparing for their unique opportunity.

“We definitely didn’t expect to make it as far as we did,” said center midfielder Kara Reichert of W.C. Henderson. “It was really fun and all but it still hadn’t sunk in to us yet.”

Once down in Florida, the team held several practices to get accustomed to the heat and playing surfaces before the tournament got underway. Led by head coach Patrick McKenna, the girls reached their ultimate goal.

“Patrick was the best coach I’ve ever had. We all learned a lot from him. He knew when to be serious and when to joke around and it was a good balance. You really have to balance the two to be successful.” explained Forsyth.

Their first opponent was SWISA Munity of Indiana, who they tied 1-1 to open up the weekend. The following day, they lost to SC Del Sol of Arizona, 4-1, in a contest that was much closer than the score reflected.

“I knew that our team as a whole worked really well together, so I wasn’t worried about how we would play down in Florida,” said Forsyth. “I was confident we’d do our best, but we had no idea about any of the teams we were playing. It was a whole new scenario for us.”

The disappointing result placed the Eagles in the consolation game against SWISA Munity of Indiana again, where they fell 1-0 in a hard fought battle. Although the results in Florida may not have been what the club was hoping for, their trip was a great learning experience for the whole team.

“It was eye-opening to see that there are different playing-styles throughout the country,” said Skros, a defender at Shanahan. “We had to go up against people and teams that we hadn’t experienced before, but it made us all better players.”

The journey to Florida was a huge success even though the club didn’t finish in first place. Every player on the roster learned valuable lessons that they can take back with them to their high school programs. The girls aren’t done, either, as they will look for a similar result next March when a whole new season begins again.